Lasionycta skraelingia species-group

The L. skraelingia species-group is characterized by the shape of the female bursa. The corpus bursae is round and the appendix bursae arises from its left side and extends straight anteriorly. Th e bursae of all other species-groups are ovoid with the appendix arising from the dorsal side of the posterior end. Th e ovipositor lobes are soft and covered by hair-like setae.

The male has a long vesica, approximately 3× the aedeagus length. The vesica has a 90° subbasal bend dorsad and toward the left, with a short broad diverticulum at the bend of the vesica bearing 1–3 tiny, spike-like cornuti. The distal vesica is gently curved and twisted with spiraling of the sclerotized band. It bears an elongate distal field of fine velvety cornuti. The valve has a short digitus that ends before reaching the ventral valve margin. Th e uncus is dorsoventrally flattened and slightly widened with a rounded apex. Th e male antennae are weakly biserrate, approximately 1.4× width of the shaft.

Males of the L. phaea and L. secedens species-groups also have long vesicae. The L. phaea species-group differs in having a broad spatulate uncus, and L. secedens can easily be distinguished from the L. skraelingia species-group by its yellow and black hindwing and by the genital characters given in its species-group description. Both L. phaea and L. secedens have a narrower beadlike antenna than those of the L. skraelingia species-group.

Lafontaine and Kononenko (1988) revised the L. skraelingia species-group. Only two species included by them are retained in the species-group in the present work, with the remainder forming the L. phaea species-group.

The L. skraelingia species-group has a Holarctic distribution with both species occurring in North America.